The present invention relates to spray dispensers having a flexible down tube to facilitate spraying when a bottle or other container associated with the dispenser is not completely vertical. More particularly it relates to such devices that are configured to facilitate automated, high speed assembly of such dispensers with containers holding the liquids to be dispensed.
A variety of devices are known for delivering liquid from a container. Some rely on aerosol valves to deliver the spray. See e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,522. Others rely on trigger pump sprayers. See e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,303. Still others use motorized pumping systems.
Some use a down (a/k/a “pick-up”; a/k/a “dip”) tube that extends from the sprayer unit down into the container holding the liquid to be dispensed. The upper end of the down tube is then connected to the sprayer (often to a suction end of a pump). The lower end of the tube is positioned near the bottom of the container.
In such devices a pump will normally suck liquid from a bottle through the down tube and then pump the liquid out a sprayer nozzle. When the bottle is nearly emptied, and the bottle is tilted from vertical (e.g. to spray the upper end of a window being cleaned, or a countertop), the lower end of the down tube can be exposed to air even though there is significant remaining liquid in the bottle. This can lead to air being sucked into the down tube (resulting in an undesired air/liquid foaming mix), or can result in the consumer throwing away the bottle prematurely, or can restrict how a consumer can effectively use the bottle.
As a result the art has sought to make such down tubes flexible, so that if the sprayer bottle is tipped during use the end of the down tube in the bottle will follow any remaining liquid in the bottle. Examples of this include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,830,235; 5,381,961; 5,464,129; 5,518,150; 5,522,548; 5,797,522; 5,954,239; 6,027,041 and 6,202,943, and U.S. patent application publication 2001/002234. See also JP 63-317484. The disclosure of this patent, and of all other patents and publications referred to herein, are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,961 a short, rigid down tube section extends down from the sprayer near the collar of the bottle. At its lower end is mounted a flexible sleeve. That sleeve receives the short section inside one end of it, and at its opposite end receives an elongated section of rigid down tube. The down tube structure is able to pivot at the flexible sleeve “joint”. Thus, the lower end of the down tube can “follow” residual liquid in the bottle as the bottle is tipped. This enables almost all of the remaining liquid in the bottle to be sucked up before the down tube will begin to suck air, for most typical positions of the bottle.
While flexible pick-up tubes of this type are quite advantageous, there is some difficulty in assembling them with the bottles when using high speed, automated equipment. In this regard, the pivoting capability for the down tube which is so advantageous once the product is assembled makes the assembly of the down tube/sprayer subassembly with the bottle more complex than in the case of a rigid down tube. This can slow line speed, require specialized equipment, and/or create occasional breakage during the assembly process.
As such, a need exists for improved flexible down tube assemblies, particularly those which permit desired pivoting characteristics once installed but are more suitable for use in a high speed assembly line.